Rivalité Dans Fraternité
by La Rosa del Desierto
Summary: A series of oneshots detailing Itachi and Sasuke's relationship before the massacre ripped away the love and brotherhood between them. Includes several mentions of a sulky Sasuke, an overprotective Itachi and many, many attempts at bribery. From both sides.
1. Runaway

**1: Runaway**

The two brothers faced off against each other, Sharingan flashing. Tension stiffened tightly corded muscles as Sasuke gripped his kunai knife with all the strength a seven year old could muster. Itachi, only three years his senior, seemed to be fairly relaxed. His own kunai was held in a loose grip, clearly expecting Sasuke to make the first move.

With a loud yell, Sasuke drew back his arm and threw with all his might. The clearing echoed with the clang of metal on metal as his kunai was easily deflected by Itachi's.

Another knife was quick to follow, and Itachi barely had time to register this when it whizzed harmlessly past his ear. His lips quirked into a small smile as he noticed Sasuke's mouth forming a pout of frustration.

"You did something, didn't you?" he asked accusingly, unable to face the fact that his aim had simply been off. "You did something with your Sharingan."

Itachi raised his hands defensively and deactivated his bloodline limit. "I didn't do anything, Sasuke," he replied. "Look, I'll fight you fairly. All right?"

His little brother nodded, albeit a little sulkily. He bent his knees slightly, lowering himself into a stance ready for battle. With a fierce shout that no doubt was aimed to have Itachi quaking in his shoes, he launched himself with a kunai in each hand, meeting Itachi head on. To his annoyance, Itachi didn't seem particularly scared by Sasuke's battle cry and parried each blow. It was clear to see that Itachi had the advantage, being older and taller, but the younger Uchiha conveniently ignored this and swung and kicked and blocked despite the fact that it was having little to no effect on his opponent.

Itachi suddenly dodged and Sasuke stumbled past him, carried forwards by his own momentum. Itachi casually moved his foot and Sasuke tripped over it, falling onto his chin with a pained grunt.

"Oh, dear," Itachi said in a concerned tone. "Sasuke, are you all right?"

Small arms pushed a small body off the ground and the boy turned, sending a sulky dark-eyed gaze at him. "You did that deliberately."

Itachi blinked owlishly. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

It seemed that Sasuke was not fooled by the blank tone his brother was using. "You cheated even though _you said_ you would fight me fairly." He folded his arms. "It's not fair."

Itachi bent down and poked Sasuke in the forehead. "Foolish little brother," he said fondly. "I believe you're just a sore loser."

"Am not!"

"You are too."

"Am _not_!" Sasuke drew himself up to his full height, which, if Itachi was honest, was not particularly impressive or intimidating, and took a deep breath.

From past experience, that was an indication that he was going to either break into a tirade somewhere along the lines of _I'm telling mother on you_, start sniffling to himself (he wouldn't be crying, he'd insist), or start attacking Itachi again. Itachi himself was prepared for all three eventualities and so had packed his pouch with a small box of sliced tomatoes (yes, shameless bribery), a couple of tissues and several kunai.

But nothing could have prepared him for what happened next.

Sasuke clenched his fists. "I'm leaving!" he announced.

Itachi blinked. "…Pardon?"

"You heard me!" Sasuke replied impudently. "I'm running away! I'm going to find a worthy adver- adversa- _opponent _who'll take me seriously and I'll fight them instead!"

Just because he knew it would annoy his younger brother, Itachi folded his arms loosely and raised an eyebrow at him. He said and did nothing to indicate that he was even remotely affected by what Sasuke had said. As it was, he was fighting the urge to smile at Sasuke's rather admirable attempt at saying _adversary_.

The smaller boy frowned. "Didn't you hear me? I said –"

"I heard what you said," Itachi interrupted. "And I fully support your decision."

"You –" Sasuke began, then hesitated. "What?"

"You can go." Itachi waved a hand towards the forest around them, giving his assent.

Sasuke cast a cursory glance at his surroundings. "All right. I _will_ go." He sounded quite determined.

Itachi offered him a reassuring smile. Sasuke looked at him suspiciously in return.

"I'm leaving now," he said.

Itachi said nothing.

Crickets chirped.

Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets, picked up a fallen kunai, and walked away into the forest. Itachi sighed and returned home, mentally preparing an excuse for his parents as to why he had decided to let his little brother run off into the big wide world.

* * *

Sasuke came back shortly before dinner. Not even a murmur escaped Itachi's lips.

When he was sure Sasuke wasn't looking, Itachi smirked, victorious.


	2. Surprises

**2: Surprises**

For the past week, Itachi had been summoned away on a series of missions. They occurred far more frequently than he was used to and he suspected that it was something to do with the recent disturbances between the Hidden Stone and the Hidden Leaf. It made no difference to him, however, just so long as he was helping rebuild the pact that had once existed between the two villages.

The assignments were simple, short. Deliver this top-secret document to that official. Accompany this Hidden Leaf ambassador through hostile territory. Scout out that location and report back your findings. Nothing he couldn't easily complete.

Whenever he got home, he was greeted with a flying hug from little Sasuke, who eagerly awaited the stories that his older brother brought home for him. It was against protocol to reveal the details, so Itachi gave the bare bones of the day's events, along with some added embellishments to make them seem more interesting.

Last time Itachi had returned from a mission, Sasuke had tackled him to the ground, accidentally kneeing him in a rather sensitive area in the process. When Sasuke heard nothing but a strangled, pained grunt from the person splayed beneath him, he had jumped up, afraid that he'd done something terribly wrong and did this mean that Itachi wouldn't train with him tomorrow?

Itachi had regarded him fondly and replied that of course he would, foolish little brother, and he was perfectly (_wince_) fine.

That was when he had been on a mission lasting no more than two days. This one had lasted for four, so he almost dreaded to think of the greeting awaiting him as he stepped through the doors of his home. He even still wore his padded ANBU uniform in anticipation for the Sasuke cannonball which he was certain was about to come barrelling into him at any second now.

He walked into the entrance hall and took off his shoes. _Any second now, _he thought.

He glanced warily around the doorframe to the nearest room, murmuring a greeting to his father. His father replied in a formal tone identical to his own, and Itachi moved on.

His mother was in the kitchen, cheerfully humming to herself. She gave him a hug and a kiss and then asked why he was still wearing his uniform, to which he replied that he simply hadn't had the chance to change yet. As to where Sasuke was, his mother replied that she didn't really know.

Years of shinobi training meant that he could never be fully relaxed, even as he tried to do so now. Sasuke wasn't in his room, so perhaps he'd gone out for target practise by himself. Although…

He stepped into his own room, immediately tensing up in anticipation of the surprise attack he was sure Sasuke would spring on him.

He waited for several seconds, then straightened. Where on earth was he?

Suddenly, he caught a flash of black out of the corner of his eye, and he turned, just as –

"Itachi!"

"Oof!" the aforementioned Uchiha gasped, attempting to regain the air that had just been knocked out of him. "That is to say, hello Sasuke. How have you been?"

The little head nestled into his side tilted upwards, revealing a round, beaming face. "I've been 'lright. How was your mission?"

"Successful." Itachi realised that Sasuke was still smiling widely. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Sasuke replied, and then bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.

"I'll take your word for it," Itachi said, not believing his little brother's façade for a second. He pretended he couldn't hear the muffled sniggers coming from behind him as he walked to his desk. A small package sat on top of a short stack of books. He picked it up.

"Surprise!" Sasuke yelled. "Happy birthday!"

Itachi turned to him, grinning at the pure happiness and excitement that brightened his features. "But," he said, "It was my birthday two days ago."

"I know that," Sasuke replied patiently. "But you weren't here to celebrate it, were you?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "So that's what _this_ is about then?" he asked, holding the package forward. At Sasuke's nod of confirmation, Itachi began to unwrap.

Inside was a neatly folded piece of paper and a book on chakra changes in nature. ("It's a boring grown-up book," Sasuke explained, "Because I know you like boring grown-up books.") Itachi unfolded the paper and had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing. The younger boy had clearly put the crayons Itachi had bought him to good use.

A bright 'Happy Birthday!' was written along the top, with a crudely drawn picture of the two of them underneath.

"I have orange skin," Itachi observed.

"I didn't have a proper skin colour," Sasuke said. "Do you like it?"

Itachi gave him a warm smile. "It's the best birthday present I've gotten this year," he said truthfully, knowing the time and effort Sasuke would have spent drawing. It was also the _only_ present he had received, since his ANBU teammates hadn't known about his birthday. "But shall I tell you something?"

Sasuke leaned in. "What is it, brother?"

Itachi poked him on the forehead, receiving a contrite scowl in reply. He knelt down. "You're far, far better at being a ninja that being an artist," he said. "So keep practising your taijutsu, as you'll need it later on when you become a shinobi."

"Okay!" Sasuke replied happily, and that was the last time he ever drew a picture.

* * *

It was several years later, and Sasuke was looking at a rather strange drawing that had somehow ended up in his family's hideout out in the countryside. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be an orange blob with black hair and eyes holding hands with a similar orange blob, but smaller. It was only when he unfolded it and saw the faded 'Happy Birthday' on the top that he remembered.

He realised, with some annoyance, that Itachi hadn't really been complimenting his ninja skills back then. He'd used that as a way to tell him his artwork had sucked.

And Sasuke had fallen for it.


End file.
